Book Blogger Confessions #7

Here’s what it’s all about: “Started in January 2012, by Karen – For What It’s Worth & Tiger – Tiger’s All Consuming Media & now co-hosted with my good friend Pam from Midnyte reader, Book Blogger Confessions is a meme that posts the 1st and 3rd Monday of every month, where book bloggers “confess” and vent about blogging/bookish topics. Feel free to share, vent and offer solutions.

Just keep it respectful – no bashing authors or other bloggers!”

June 3rd Topic: Does participating in book tours/cover reveals and author guests post drive traffic to your blog? What type of problems have you encountered when hosting them? (please keep it civil – no names or calling specific people out) As a blog follower, are you ever turned off by these kinds of posts? How much publicity is too much? 

Partcipating in book tours and author guests probably drives some traffic to my blog, but not followers who stick around. The amount of page views I have spikes when I have the occasional blog tour, but I think it’s my own fault that not more people come because I don’t do enough blog/book tours or author guest posts. Why don’t I do more you say? Honestly because it takes a lot of time and effort to plan that out and I’m either too busy or too lazy to put in the time and work.

I have not personally encountered any problems. But I’ve never hosted a blog tour (when I think hosting I mean planning every single blog stop, not just participating). Has anyone else encountered problems? What kinds let me know below so I can be on the look out later!
As a blog follower I am sometimes put off by these kinds of posts. Often I find that the more popular blogs are just packed to the brim with tons of author guest posts, book tours, cover reveals, and I personally don’t think that that’s what book blogging is about. Sure, it’s great to promote people, but if you’re running a book reviewing site, then I want to see reviews. I think that’s what frustrates me the most when I see other people have  a lot more followers than me. I try desperately to get people to follow me, and I’m posting my honest opinion on books. But, the mass majority it seems like follow the people who have tons of stuff that isn’t even a review. I find that a little sad too. 
How much publicity is too much? Wow. Well, if I’m scrolling through a blog and every single post on the front page is something that’s not a review, I won’t follow the blog. I think that’s just ridiculous. The blog has basically become a place to dump a bunch of ads for books. That’s not book reviewing folks. And, yes, sometimes there are reviews attached to the blog tour or author post about a book, but doesn’t it just seem a little obligatory to say something nice since you’re doing this favor for the author by featuring them and their book on your blog? Then we the readers aren’t getting a 100% honest review right? But I guess everyone has different opinions on this (and I’d love to hear them!)
What are your thoughts? Let me know in the comments or leave a link to your own Book Blogger Confession and I’ll come check it out!
See you soon!

0 Replies to “Book Blogger Confessions #7”

  1. Sooooo true! I love what you said. If a blog has more “promotions” I read them as “ads.” I want to know a person's thoughts about a book or even a bookish topic.

  2. Yes I too get turned off by some one always posting things by the publisher. Yes I understand that publicity needs to done , but with many blogs doing it 🙁

  3. I did host a tour and I was horrible at it lol I will never do it again.

    I've unfollowed quite a few blogs that have become promotion only. I'm fine if they don't do a lot of reviews but it can't just be promotion without some sort of opinion and obvious love for books.

  4. I am guilty of many of those things 🙁 I'll try not to do them so much. I always thought what I was doing was sharing and giving info to people about new books and maybe even new authors but you brought on a new light to how some bloggers might see it. Now I'll have to bring in a new approach to how I share things.

    Thank you for bring it up and opening my eyes:)

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